Design of new arena made by CTV firm

The Royal Commission's report into the CTV collapse this week highlighted Alan Reay Consulting for its role in the plans and construction of the doomed building. Photo / Geoff Sloan

The manager of Stadium Southland says there are no concerns with the construction of the new $35 million arena, which is designed by Alan Reay whose firm designed Christchurch's CTV building.

Stadium Southland general manager Nigel Skelt said all structural plans for the new building, to replace the one damaged during winter storms in 2010, have been subjected to a strict peer-review process.

Dr Reay was appointed design engineer of the new stadium before the collapse of the CTV building during the Christchurch earthquake in February last year.

Mr Skelt said it was standard procedure for design and structure plans to be peer-reviewed, and there had been "no concerns at all" resulting from that process.

The Royal Commission's report into the CTV collapse this week highlighted Alan Reay Consulting for its role in the plans and construction of the doomed building, in which 115 people died.

The commission found the CTV design was deficient in a number of areas, and that it should never have been given a building permit.

Mr Skelt said the commission's report had not caused any concern for the Stadium Southland project.

"Right through the process everything has been peer-reviewed. That has taken some time in terms of the end product. It's very rigorous," he said.

"We've been very vigilant through the peer-review process and we've had no concerns whatsoever."

The cost associated with having plans reviewed was "into the millions of dollars", Mr Skelt said.

The new stadium is 70 per cent complete, and is due to open in July next year.

The "heaviest snowfall seen in decades" contributed to destroying the original stadium in September 2010.

Dr Reay is yet to comment on the commission's findings except for releasing a statement this week saying he had not received a copy of the report before it was made public.

Yesterday his lawyer said he was still reviewing the report, which is more than 1000 pages long.

"All I can say is it's being given due consideration," Willie Palmer of Buddle Findlay said.